REDLANDS – Charles Prograce is a local skater from way back who went on to make a career building skate parks around the world. He never guessed his calling would lead him back to his hometown.

But tonight, he will hop on a plane from Santa Cruz so he can lead a skate park design workshop Saturday for more than 100 skaters and community members with a vested interest in the project.

This “was just a personal calling to give something back to the skate park community,” said Prograce, 35, a Redlands-born- and-bred engineer. “I’ve designed over 50 skate parks over the past 10 years all over the world, and none of them mean as much to me as this park. This is as pure as it gets.”

Prograce is just the latest person to become passionately involved in the effort to bring a skate park to the city.

A group of 40 youngsters ranging in age from 6 to 16 banded together in August and collected more than 2,000 signatures and $51,000 in two weeks.

It was their dedication and enthusiasm that convinced the City Council to donate a 4.6-acre plot just south of Sylvan Park.

The design workshop, set for 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday on the second floor of the Redlands Police Department annex, is a chance for skaters to vote on what the park will look like.

“It’s not just going to be fun and games,” said Susan Broderick, the “Sk8 Park Mom” who has been supervising the kids’ effort. “When they sit down, they’re going to be given consultant ID numbers and filling out a survey. We have to create a wish list.”

Prograce estimates the 22,000-square-foot park will combine elements of a skate plaza, flow bowl terrain and possibly a replica of a backyard swimming pool.

But it’s up to the kids.

“We need to know what the skaters want in Redlands and give them the results,” Prograce said.

A second workshop is planned for mid-February. Prograce will then have a 3D model of the park that can be shown to prospective construction firms.

“We need a design so we can go forward with getting the thing built,” Broderick said. “When we go and ask somebody to fund our project, they’ll have an idea of what we’re building.”

Prograce swears the Redlands skate park will be his crown jewel in a 10-year career – at least, in his heart and mind.

He has designed skate parks from Poway to the United Kingdom, working mostly with Wormhoudt Inc. Nearly two years ago, he started his own company – r3 consulting engineers – which was hired to design Redlands’ park.

Redlands skate park design workshop

1:30 to 4 p.m.

Saturday on the second floor of the Police Department annex, 30 Cajon St.